(Recipe By Chef Abhishek Gupta)
This refined Italian dish is a harmonious blend of land and sea, bringing together delicate scallops, tender courgette (zucchini), and bold Mediterranean flavours in a contemporary interpretation.
The preparation begins with high-quality scallops, gently marinated in olive oil, salt, and pepper, and then pan-seared to achieve a golden crust while maintaining their buttery interior. Zucchini slices are similarly treated and seared to bring out their natural sweetness and earthy tones. These two components form the base of the dish, arranged artfully on a bed of lobster bisque-poached potatoes that impart a luxurious, subtly briny depth.
The highlight of this dish is the olive espuma — a light, airy foam created by simmering black olives with cream, blending the mixture to a silky consistency, and charging it in a siphon to achieve a cloud-like texture. This modern touch adds both visual drama and a rich umami element that envelops the palate.
To complete the experience, olive dust — crafted by boiling, blending, dehydrating, and grinding black olives — is delicately sprinkled over the plate, providing an intense burst of flavour and a striking visual contrast.
Thoughtfully curated, this dish exemplifies reimagining Italian classics with finesse and innovation. It is not just a dish — it is a sensory experience that celebrates balance, technique, and the vibrancy of Mediterranean ingredients.
Abhishek Gupta is a chef at Zanotta, The Leela Ambience Gurugram
Ingredients
- 100 Gram Scallops
- 20 Milliliter Olive Oil
- 80 Gram Zucchini
- 100 Gram Potatoes
- 100 Gram Black Olives
- 80 Gram Cooking Cream
- 200 Gram Lobster Bisque
- 10 Gram Salt
- 10 Gram Pepper
- 20 Gram Sugar
Cooking Instructions
Take a clean bowl. Marinate the scallops with salt, pepper and olive oil.
Sear the scallops on a hot pan.
Take another clean bowl. Marinate the sliced zucchini with salt, pepper and olive oil.
Sear the zucchini on a hot pan.
Keep both the items aside for further use.
Cut small cubes of potatoes and poach them in lobster bisque for some time.
Strain the potatoes from the bisque until they are par-boiled.
FOR OLIVE ESPUMA: Take a small stock pot and cook the cream with 50 gm of black olives and reduce the mixture to half.
Blend the mixture and pass it through a sieve to avoid lumps.
Cool the mixture and some time.
Pour the mixture in a siphon gun.
Charge the gun with NO2 cartridge.
FOR OLIVE DUST: Take another small stock pot and add water.
Add 50gm of olive and sugar in the water. Let it boil for some time.
Strain the olives and blend it into a fine paste.
Spread the mixture on a sheet and place it in a dehydrator.
Grind the dehydrated olive flakes into a fine powder.
FINAL ASSEMBLING: Place the warm scallops over the boiled potatoes on a plate.
Place the sliced zucchini on the side of the scallops.
Pour the olive espuma in the middle of the plate.
Garnish the dish with olive dust.
Summary
Prepare Warm Pan Seared Scallops, Courgette With Oilve Espuma With These Steps
Pan Seared Scallops is a refined Italian dish which is a harmonious blend of land and sea, bringing together delicate scallops, tender courgette (zucchini), and bold Mediterranean flavours.
Source : Special Arrangement
Ingredients
- 100 Gram Scallops
- 20 Milliliter Olive Oil
- 80 Gram Zucchini
- 100 Gram Potatoes
- 100 Gram Black Olives
- 80 Gram Cooking Cream
- 200 Gram Lobster Bisque
- 10 Gram Salt
- 10 Gram Pepper
- 20 Gram Sugar
Main Procedure
Take a clean bowl. Marinate the scallops with salt, pepper and olive oil.
Sear the scallops on a hot pan.
Take another clean bowl. Marinate the sliced zucchini with salt, pepper and olive oil.
Sear the zucchini on a hot pan.
Keep both the items aside for further use.
Cut small cubes of potatoes and poach them in lobster bisque for some time.
Strain the potatoes from the bisque until they are par-boiled.
FOR OLIVE ESPUMA: Take a small stock pot and cook the cream with 50 gm of black olives and reduce the mixture to half.
Blend the mixture and pass it through a sieve to avoid lumps.
Cool the mixture and some time.
Pour the mixture in a siphon gun.
Charge the gun with NO2 cartridge.
FOR OLIVE DUST: Take another small stock pot and add water.
Add 50gm of olive and sugar in the water. Let it boil for some time.
Strain the olives and blend it into a fine paste.
Spread the mixture on a sheet and place it in a dehydrator.
Grind the dehydrated olive flakes into a fine powder.
FINAL ASSEMBLING: Place the warm scallops over the boiled potatoes on a plate.
Place the sliced zucchini on the side of the scallops.
Pour the olive espuma in the middle of the plate.
Garnish the dish with olive dust.
